Wendy of the Apocalypse
by sreshtiyer
Summary: After the attack on Tenrou Island, Wendy is left as the sole survivor. Almost dead, she somehow makes her way to the outside, and struggles to survive. 7 years past, she, along with the double dragons are all that's left to oppose Acnologia. Their only hope lies on the name of a legendary mage that surfaced, one they thought to be dead; Natsu Dragneel.
1. Chapter 1: - Aftermath

**This was something that I wanted to implement for quite some time, an alternate FT timeline with a more darker story. Now, some of you may ask, how did I get this idea? Well, the ending is not that satisfactory for me. For something to be enjoyable, it needs to have sacrifices, hardships and so on for one to be able to truly appreciate and enjoy. If everything is sweet throughout, the ending is nothing special. It would be like adding sugar cubes to cake before eating it. Hence this idea. Here, tragedy and strife are laden everywhere, which would give much better opportunity for a much more satisfactory ending. Let me know your thoughts. Again, this story WILL deviate from the normal 'FT' standards, so to put it more bluntly, there will be no nakama power or anything like that. This is a version which I think will make the original more enjoyable to read.**

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 **Wendy of the Apocalypse**

 **Chapter 1: - Aftermath**

 **Year X784, Tenrou Island**

"It's over...or is it...Natsu?" called out the black wizard, dearly clutching a small weathered book in his hands, his face lathered with sadness. The said figure sped away in the flying airship he captured from Grimoire heart and disappeared into the far unknown.

On that day, January 16, Year X784, All that remained of the once mysterious island was bits and pieces that disappeared into the marine depths of the ocean almost instantly. No survivors were expected to be found, however, after a detailed search for the surrounding areas, the unconscious and grievously wounded body of a young blue haired girl was found floating in a bubble of magic, with a peculiar symbol visible on it. Upon further investigations into the ocean depths, found were the bodies of several members of the renowned mage guild Fairy Tail. Almost all have been identified, and the bodies of mages Salamander, A.K.A Natsu Dragneel and the demon of Fairy Tail, Mirajane Strauss were nowhere to be seen. For the bravery in facing off against the mighty dragon of the apocalypse, a special ceremony for the martyrs was held by the royal family and statues to honor their memories have been erected all over the town of magnolia. The young blue haired girl is all that remains of the once famous and proud guild of Magnolia...

 _"Wen….dy...We…nd…y…"_

Her body aching all over, and the with numbness on several of her fingers and toes, Wendy Marvell struggled to open her eyes, blinded by a bright light surrounded by darkness. The light enveloped her, a feeling of guilt, sadness, regret and caring washing over her. Even though the emotions were dark, she could feel warmth over her entire being.

" _I'm sorry…..if only I was in my real body I could've saved everyone…..but at the very least, even while in this corporeal body, I wanted to save atleast one person…..I'm sorry….I'm sorry…_ " apologized the feminine voice, and from the sounds of it, Wendy could tell that if she could see the owner of the voice, she would see tears on that face.

"Who are you?" struggled Wendy to question the voice, but could only muster the strength to frame the question in her mind.

" _You must survive…your life is not your own anymore…..this corporeal body of mine will soon disappear, just as how my guild has...and with it, the magic protecting you shall as well…but do not despair, for help is always given to those that are in need for it at Fairy Tail…if that time comes, make your way towards that which you call home and I shall be there to help you overcome your despair…farewell, and stay alive, Wendy….._ " said the voice, fading into oblivion.

"Wa...wait...I still have so many...don't g-"

Her eyes blinked open with a flash, her course breathing fast and loud, audible to the occupants of the entire room. She could make out few familiar faces looking at her with looks of sympathy and melancholy.

"Ah she woke up, someone call a healer!" cried Lyon.

"Do you think she knows...?" started Sherry.

"Shush now, we dont want to startle her" said Jura.

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to bring out her voice.

"Relax...you're in our guild, Lamia Scale. You were in a real bad shape when we found you...I'm still surprised you survived after an event like that..." said Babasaama with an unusually serious look.

Then it hit her like a thunderstorm, the S class test, Grimoire Heart, Acbologia, and finally that breath attack. Jumping up, she ran to the Lyon who was near her and grabbed him.

"How long has it been? Where are the others?! Please tell me!" she cried out desperately. The ice mage sighed sympathetically.

"Delaying this wont do any good, might as well tell you the full story. We heard news of what happened at Tenrou Island and left immediately to search the area for survivors. You're the only one we've found...it's been many days since you were found, and this is the first time you've gained consciousness. As for the others..." he explained for a good hour, and she listened, unable to speak or move, aghast.

"...and that's the whole story...I'm sorry" he finished. The blue haired girl simply slumped against the wall, with a blank look on her face.

"Can you take me there...? To the others...? Please..." she sobbed meekly. The members of Lamia scale looked at each other in a difficult manner, and finally nodded at her.

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 **Sometime later: -**

"We're here" alerted Lyon, pointing to the grand shrine where the deceased members of the Fairy Tail guild were entombed. "Go on...we'll be waiting her if you need something..." he said quietly. The distressed sky dragon slayer slowly strode along the neatly built pathway leading to the memorial. And there she could see it. Piles of gravestones, grim and lifeless, with the mark of fairy tail on each of them. Before she could even look at their names, tears welled her eyes and she couldn't stop her hands from automatically reaching out, her knees giving way.

"No...no...nooo...NOOOOOOO! Why is this happening...first Cait Shelter and now this...why must I always be the one...? Why!"

The sorrowful cries of a young girl could be heard for the entire day, the nearby Lamia members who could do naught but watch, looking down with blank looks, tears on each of their eyes, and the memories of those they once thought to be the light of their existence, now disappeared as if snuffed out just like that. This would be the start of her strenuous journey, one filled with a mixed bag of emotions, experiences, meetings and the mysterious.

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 **That's it for the 1st chapter. It's way shorter than I would've liked it, but hopefully that changes in the future. Now, some of you may ask me, why Wendy? Why not someone like Natsu, Mira or even Erza, who could've been done better justice to their characters than in the original. True, they would make for excellent choices for a story like this but there's one thing fundamentally different about Wendy - She's a character that I would say is 'Pure and Innocent, devoid of anything dark or wicked'. Such a character being thrown into this kind of a timeline would make for a very interesting story. True, I could do the same with Mira as well, but I feel that even Mira has a dark side, literally when she uses her powers, unlike Wendy. So I wanted to try one where Wendy would be**

 **1) More adult like and mature**

 **2) Has a darker story**

 **Thanks a lot for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: - 7 years of Despair

**Hey guys, I'm astonished that I got 100+ views in less than a day! I'm really happy and thanks a lot for your support! I'll do my best to keep you entertained! The first chapter was more of a prologue, and this one will be a proper chapter. I usually do around 4000+ words per chapter, sometimes even longer. Enjoy!**

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 **Oh and also, I made a fanart for how I imagine adult wendy looks, you can see it at my deviantart page, my id is sreshtiyer. It's also there on my Instagram, sresht1995. The same image is the cover for this fanfiction story.**

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 **Disclaimer: - Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, only this fanfic story belongs to me, along with the cover image for this story.**

 **Wendy of the Apocalypse**

 **Chapter 2: - 7 Years of Despair**

After what felt like an hour, the young blue haired girl finally started making her way towards the Lamia members standing by. With her head still facing down, it was hard to tell what kind of expression she was making. She walked until she was just a couple of feet from them. Uncertain about how to interact, Lyon took the initiative.

"So Wendy….what will you do now? If you want to, you could stay with us….." he offered. She looked up, her tear stained face bearing a small smile, and eyes that had almost no life in them.

"There is somewhere I need to go….and besides…Fairy Tail isn't finished…Raki-san, Macao-san, Romero-kun, Wakaba-san are still in the guild, alive…..at the very least….I won't let Fairy Tail end….." she said, determined.

"I see…..in that case, I only ask that you not burden yourself too much…..we're always there for you, whenever you feel like talking to someone, you're always welcome at Lamia Scale" said Sherry.

"Someone so young like you shouldn't have to face such a crisis on your own….if you wish, I could accompany you" said Jura softly, patting her shoulders. But Wendy nodded in the negative.

"Thanks a lot, all of you. I'm glad that there's someone I can rely on in times of need. Fairy Tail will forever be in your debt. But this is something I have to do alone…..for the sake of those who gave their lives, I promise to become stronger, both in body and spirit. Otherwise, I will never be able to face them. I'll look all over the world if I need to…but I WILL find Natsu-san and Mira-san at all costs…..with their help, I'm sure we can defeat Acnologia…..somehow or the other, I promise I'll survive through this" she said tearfully, clenching her fists.

"All right then, I respect your choice. Be careful on your way then" said Jura, bidding her goodbye.

"Once again, anytime you need any help, feel free to ask away" said Sherry sweetly, patting the blue head gently on her head.

"I'm sure we'll meet sometime in the future as well….I'll be looking forward to seeing how strong you become" added Lyon.

"Goodbye! And thank you!" replied Wendy, giving a small bow, and walking towards the direction of Fairy Tail.

 **Sometime later, Fairy Tail Guild**

The atmosphere in the guild was one of tension and sorrow. Having heard of Wendy's survival, they wanted to immediately visit the sky dragon slayer, but the ceremonies of their fallen comrades took much too longer than they expected. Now that it was done, Macao, who was acting leader of the guild took charge to prepare for a journey to visit the recovering Wendy. That's when the guild doors flung open, to reveal a fully cured Wendy, with pale, ghost like eyes.

"I'm home…." She said in a weak and defeated voice.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. For a full half a dozen seconds, there was naught but silence, only the shocked expressions on their faces. Soon enough, the expressions changed to tearful ones from those of shock, and all of them rushed towards the dragon slayer, shouting.

"WENDY!"

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"You're going to look for Natsu-san and Mira-san?" questioned Romero.

"Yeah…..I wont get any closure until I learn of their fates" she replied.

"But…where will you go? No one has the faintest idea of where to begin…." Mentioned Macao concerned.

"That's true….you're the last one from the Tenrou Team…..if you go too then…" added Jet.

"If those 2 are indeed alive, then bringing them here will replace some of the light that was diminished by Acnologia. Besides…..I could never sleep in peace knowing that I abandoned them" said Wendy. "I promised that I would become strong, enough so that I won't ever have to see a scenario like that again"

"Wendy…..you don't have to do this….I'm sure none of them would want you to…" advised Azlack.

"I have to go!" she protested.

"She's right" came a voice from towards the basement. The familiarity of the voice hit Wendy. The heads turned to see a small, young girl, around the same age as Wendy, with wavy blond hair reaching up till her knees, two wing like accessories on her head, a single lock of hair sticking upwards, with ghost like emerald green eyes. Another thing to note was that her feet were bare.

"Who…are you?" asked Macao piqued.

"I'm Mavis Vermillion, the first guild master of Fairy Tail" the girl replied, shocking everyone. "I was there during the incident at Tenrou Island, my resting place….but at that time, I was only able to interact with everyone as a ghost, and hence was powerless when the black dragon of the apocalypse came. At the very least, I wanted to save one person" she explained sadly, looking at Wendy.

"Then that voice in my dream…..it was you?" she asked astonished.

"That is correct….."

"But hold on a second…..this doesn't make any sense! The first master of fairy tail would've been more than a hundred years old if she were still alive! But the person here is no older than Wendy!" pointed out Bisca. The others nodded when the realization hit them.

"You're correct when you say that. I wont go into the specifics, now isn't the time for that. As to how I'm still alive, I can only tell that my body stopped aging because of an accident decades ago. Hence, since that time, I've been stuck looking like this…Due to some circumstances, I was sealed away in a lachrima, leaving only a 'thought form' of myself. Now that Acnologia took care of my ethereal body, my real body was unsealed. Anyways, coming back to the issue at hand" she said, turning once again to Wendy. "Wendy, you know full well that at your current level, you wont stand even a second against Acnologia. Yet you're still willing to go?" the blue haired girl nodded.

"That is all I wanted to know. If your resolve is firm, then you'll need to become stronger, much stronger than you are now. You see, I realized few things after the attack by Acnologia. All dragons have a unique element, and his is probably one of the worst ones. He has the ability to effectively cancel magic. So any magic attack on him wont work. That's why even though so many were attacking him simultaneously, it had no effect on him. He can eat ALL magic. But, the attacks of Mira weren't eaten. That's because her powers aren't completely magic related. This must have something to do with her ability to use Demonic power. That's when it hit me. The one weakness of a being we thought to be invincible. Finally, we had a way. The fact that Mira is missing also seems fishy."

"Amazing….you came with all this just from seeing him attack once?!" exclaimed Macao.

" Then why not let someone else go? Wendy is too young for this kind of burden!" argued Azlack.

"But she is the only dragon slayer we have….a dragon can only be beaten by a dragon slayer, there is no doubt about that. And besides, you all will be much more helpful to her here." Said Mavis.

"Sigh….alright, if the master says so, then that's how it is. I'll get you some rations then, it'll help you for your journey" said Macao.

"Wendy, take this" said the first master, extending her hand. Wendy extended her own in return, and a bright flash covered the room. She could feel a weird sensation on her arm, as if something was flowing into her. When the light disappeared, her arm now had a tattoo very similar to the mark of Fairy Tail, but with slightly more markings. "That is Fairy Glitter, the greatest of the 3 great fairy magics. It will aid you in your conquest. Now go…for the sake of those that whose dreams were torn apart, and for the sake of those that still have them, carry forward our feelings and beliefs! Become stronger, both in mind and body, struggle and survive! I….believe in you!"

"Yes!" replied Wendy, with a voice filled with determination. With her resolve absolute, she geared up for herself to face whatever challenges that would present itself. In the years to come, Acnologia's reign of terror continues to devastate the lives of people that it comes across. Many famous guilds like Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale took it up to themselves to try and arrest the terror of the mad dragon. But like so many others, they would fail and often, they would lose the lives of their friends or family. With each disaster, the blue haired dragon slayer's heart would be filled with more sorrow and despair, but at the same time, the determination to make things right. Her resolve only grew stronger with each passing moment, never giving up in her search for Natsu and Mirajane. Always on the run, in constant fear of the black dragon, he only source of comfort lay in the hopes that she could one day return home. And thus, 6 years passed; who was once a frail and meek young girl, is now a strong and mature young woman. It is now the year X790.

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 **Year X790, Mage guild of Sabertooth**

Things were taking a heated turn on the guild halls of Sabertooth, the recently crowned number one guild of Fiore.

"Sting. Rogue. What is the meaning of this?" ordered Jiemma, the current master of Sabertooth.

"Master, please just hear me out. We got to the village as you instructed. But someone had already taken care of the dark guild attacking in that town, so we saw no need to intervene….the village people were unharmed as well" pleaded Rogue.

"SILENCE!" he thundered, intimidating the entire guild. " Do you realize what you have done by returning empty handed? By saving the town by an attack, Acalypha Town would have been indebted to us, Sabertooth, thus granting us its resources. Instead, you let someone else do our work and return with nothing to present. Sabertooth is the number 1 guild in all of Earthland! I won't let some low lives take away what should be ours!"

"B..but master…Sting has never failed a mission before..and this time its not because he was defeated or something…I'm sure if he had the chance to fight, he would've definitely been victorious…" stammered Lector the exceed.

"HUH?! And just what are you supposed to be?!" snarled Jiemma. Unbeknownst to them all, Minerva was watching from the corner.

"..D..don't be like that master…I'm also a member of the guild…" said Lector, showing the guild stamp on his back.

"SINCE WHEN DID CATS AND DOGS START ENTERING THE GUILD I TAKE SO MUCH PRIDE IN?!" he roared "DISAPPEAR, FLITH!" A purple glow began emanating from his hands. The area around Lector began to quake and glow as well.

"W..wait! What are you doing to Lector!" questioned Sting frantically.

"I have no use for weaklings, and least of all for filth like this!" he growled, the magic in his hands getting stronger.

"S…stop! Stop!" pleaded the white dragon slayer. His partner the shadow dragon slayer could do nothing but watch in horror, clutching Frosch tightly.

"How pathetic" called out a voice. "There are people out there, trying to simple live out their lives in peace, yet all you care about is being the strongest. It makes me sick" The magic from his hands immediately ceased, and soon enough, the strange visitor got the attention of everyone in Sabertooth, including that of Minerva.

"Oh? And who might you be?" he questioned. Lector was still quaking in his toes, and Sting was only glad that an interruption gave him the opening to save Lector.

"You won't be around long enough to remember it" said the blue haired girl.

"It's still too early for you to be showing such arrogance to one such as I. If you have something against me, you can do so after you've proven your worth" scowled the master "Rufus, be a suitable opponent to her" he ordered. The memory mage simply twirled his hat, and stepped in front of her and Jiemma.

"Move aside. I have no business with you" said Wendy simply.

"Ah, I find it vexing that a lovely lady such as your self speaks so coldly….strange that I don't have you registered in my memory" he said in an odd manly voice. "But the guild master's orders are absolute. I do apologize if I hurt your lovely face"

The mysterious blue haired girl didn't say anything at first, simply observing her surroundings.

*fwip* With incredible speeds, she slipped past her, a strong wind ruffling Rufus's hair as she passed beside him.

*fwip* She was now directly in front of Jiemma.

"Wha-"

" **Sky dragon's crushing fang** " Charging up a miniature whirlwind on her hand, she struck Jiemma at his core. What happened next would be imprinted on their memories for all times. The guild master was flung through several walls behind him, the attack itself generating a maddening whirlwind that only further sent him flying. There was no doubt about it. Their master was taken down with a single hit, for none felt the need to check.

"Im….impossible…." stammered Rufus.

" _Did she just say 'Sky dragon's..?"_ thought Rogue wide eyed.

" _So she's also a dragon slayer….Although, I've never heard of one that was this strong! Just who is she?!"_ thought Sting.

"Damn….that's some crazy power….she almost destroyed half the guild with that single attack…" said Orga sweating slightly.

" _Not just that….she was also incredible fast….I've never seen movement like that…"_ noticed Yukino.

No one spoke a word, and simply watched her walk over to Sting. She knelt down and examined Lector and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Phew….he doesn't seem to be hurt" she said, her voice now much more softer.

"Who are you?" questioned Sting.

"Ah, sorry about that, I apologize for the damage I caused, I got carried away in my anger" she said apologetically. "I'm Wendy Marvell, the dragon slayer of the skies, and daughter of the sky dragon Grandeeney. I'm a member of the mage guild Fairy Tail".

" _So she really is…!_ " exclaimed Rogue inwardly.

"I see….words cannot express how thankful I am for saving Lector. He means a lot to me" said Sting.

"Don't mention it….and besides, a guild is supposed to be a place where friends care about each other…..his views pissed me off, and I couldn't stand by and watch while he killed someone just for being weak" said Wendy.

"You just said….Fairy Tail right? The same guild that disappeared after the black dragon of the apocalypse made its move there?" inquired Minerva.

"That's right. After its attack, all my comrades lost their lives. I…was the lone survivor. I made up my mind to put an end to his reign, lest something like this happens to any other guild. Over the last 6 years, I've been hiding and running, in constant fear of him…but thanks to that, I've been able to become as strong as I am now. Travelling throughout Fiore, I hoped to find allies with whom I could team up. That's how I ended up here. After hearing stories about the twin dragon slayers of Sabertooth. After all, only dragon slayers can hope to defeat Acnologia" she explained. A wave of sympathy ran over the guild, particularly over Rogue and Sting.

"So…Gajeel-san and Natsu-san are dead as well?" asked Rogue.

"Gajeel-san is, but as for Natsu-san…his body was never discovered. I've also been on the lookout for any news on him. So far, I haven't had any luck" she said sadly.

"So you would like our help as potential allies, when the time comes where Fairy Tail might require our help?" asked Rufus.

"That's right" came the swift reply. "But I don't intend on joining your guild, even though my guild was destroyed long back. Fairy Tail holds a lot of memories for me, and I don't intent to get over that"

"Consider it done" said Minerva.

"Huh?! But if she doesn't want to join our guild then…"

"No…..all this time, we never really behaved like a real guild should, caring for our own, and working together to better ourselves. Now that Wendy has defeated the master, we can start afresh. This is the least we can do to repay her" said Sting firmly. He then turned to Wendy.

"I wont ever understand your loss, but if I can help with this, then I would be more than happy to. Acnologia may not have taken away anything like he did for you, but as a dragon slayer and as thanks for saving Lector, this is the least I can do. Let's work together, Wendy-san!" he said ,offering his hands.

"That goes for me as well" came her reply, offering her own hand with a smile.

Thus had she gained some strong allies, and for the first time in her life since her tragedy, she had finally found someone whom she could call her comrades. Together, they overcame many hurdles together, be it protecting the towns from dark guilds that have gone over to anarchy or even going on missions together to find news about Natsu and Mira. Soon, Sabertooth, that was once known for its cruel nature was history. The members themselves found themselves becoming close to each other, like a proper guild should. And hence, another year passed.

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 **Year X791, Somewhere near Tenrou Island**

Three figures were making their way carefully across a dense population of wild shrubs and tall trees. One was a young adolescent woman, slim and fit, carrying a sword on her back, fair skin, dark blue hair reaching up to her shoulders, brown eyes and two bangs covering her face. Travelling along with her were two companions, one with spiky blond hair, muscular and toned build, with a tuff of hair worn over his shoulders. He had the mark of the guild of sabertooth on his left shoulder. The other was slim young man of average height, messy black hair reaching down to his shoulders, with slit pupil-ed red eyes, with a long black cape bearing the familiar white mark of the sabertooth guild on it.

"So, is this the place? Doesn't look like anyone's been here for years" mentioned the blue haired woman with doubt in her tone.

"We don't have any sources that are reliable for sure, after all, it was only a voice telling you to come here" replied her blond companion.

"Still...a name like the legendary fire dragon slayer Natsu Dragneel is what we need in times like these, don't we?" added Rogue. "If you look around, you'll see that people once used to live here, maybe even some guild, judging from the rubble of buildings and clothes strewn around...poor guys never had a chance...the black dragon didn't even let them get 100 ft away from their guild" The woman gritted her teeth.

"7 years...for 7 years he's terrorized this world...running and hiding every second of my life, fearing for death and those I would let down should it happen...I'm sick of it!" hissed the blue haired dragon slayer.

"As if that's not enough, many guilds turned to anarchy, looting and destroying those that arent mages, looking for shelter and supplies, killing those that oppose them. There aren't many left to defend the peace around anyways, with Acnologia making short work out of them. I dunno how many guilds I've had to take down trying to protect the townsfolk...we should be working together to protect what little we have left, instead everyone just does whatever they want!" said Sting, his hands shaking in anger.

"If only master, Erza-san, Mira-san, Lucy-san and the others were still around..." said Wendy sadly, looking down. Sensing this, the black haired man patted her shoulders.

"I feel you...but right now, we need to focus on what we have left, lest we lose that as well" he consoled. The blue haired woman smiled a bit.

"It's already been a year hasn't it?" said Rogue. Wendy nodded. "Time sure passes quickly…..I remember that day….we were having an argument with our old master, and just them it seemed like he would kill Lector for simply being weak. Then you came in, and defeated him in a single blow….even though we had the top mages in our guild, your strength completely baffled our minds, most of us were scared shitless…It was also you who taught us what a guild really is…" Wendy blushed.

"Aah, you're making me embarrassed…..I was a bit pissed off that day, I'm not normally like that" she said.

"Oh, then what about that day when Sting slipped in some pickled plums into your food as a joke? I remember he was knocked out for half the day and many of the guild members made excuses to stay out of the guild" snickered the black haired slayer. A comical vein popped in her head.

"Perhaps I should put you to sleep as well" she said, in a comically way.

"Oy, Rogue, Wendy, check this out!" waved the blond breaking the conversation, some feet away. The two mentioned slayers rushed to the spot where their companion stood. Standing in front of them was a huge doorway of sorts, that seemed to be fused to the naturally shaped structure, with some runes inscribed on it.

"E.N.D" read out Rogue. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Could it be that it's not Natsu after all?" questioned Sting.

"Well, N.D could stand for Natsu Dragneel...not sure about the E" said Wendy scratching her head. She moved to the door, trying to open it. It wouldnt budge. "Of course I couldnt just open it like that...let's try smashing it with our magic"

"Only one way to find out then..." said Sting. "At the same time" The three drew back their heads, breathing in.

"White dragons..."

"Shadow dragons..."

"Sky dragons..."

"ROAR!" An enormous blast of dragon slayer energy flew out, combining in the middle to form one titanic beam and hit the doorway squarely at its core. The surrounding area shook as if hit by an earthquake, and the three struggled to maintain footing. When the dust cleared, they saw that the door remained as is, not even a scratch on its rugged and weathered surface.

"Damn..." cursed the blond dragon slayer.

A small creaking sound filled the air, and the door slowly swung open, leaving confused looks on the trio's faces.

"I guess it worked after all then? Anyways, let's go" said Sting cautiously, and the other two nodded silently.

The inside looked like some sort of ancient laboratory, with multiple runes sculpted along its walls, different types of lachrima placed along in specific and calculated positions, glowing dimly in the damp interior of the ruins. There was a faint presence of an energy they had never felt before, but there was a small hint of dragon slayer magic in it.

"How about some light" remarked the blond, and with a simply movement of his hands, lit the entire place with a glowing orb of light energy. Now, the figure in the center of the room was visible, and what they saw left them hanging and speechless.

Almost as if in a trance, lay a young man in his mid 20's, numerous markings on his body that was knelt down, suspended by magical ropes and bound by several chains. He had spiky pink hair, black eyes, light tanned skin, a scar around his neck region and the familiar white scaled scarf hung around his neck. But what caught their attention was the almost faded, light red mark on his right shoulder, something the blue haired woman hadnt seen in so long. Tears immediately welled in her eyes.

"...Natsu-san..." she gasped, covering her mouth; a variety of emotions cartwheeling in her entire being.

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 **That's it folks! Hope you liked it! Again, I'm super happy that you like and read my story, I'll try my best as well. Initially I only intended to continue writing if I got enough readers, but seeing as how short the 1** **st** **chapter was, I wanted to write a follow up which would give in more to the story. Until next time, and don't hesitate to point any mistakes I may have made, I apologize for them in advance.**


	3. Chapter 3: - Salamander

**Hey guys, sorry about the lack of an update, I'll be leaving for Stockholm for my masters this week, hence I was super busy with work. Just a few things I wanted to clarify. Some of you might ask, why didn't they recognize/react when they say the name E.N.D? After all, he was supposed to be a super evil leader of the demons. Simple really, they don't know that yet. Even in the manga, it's only during the Tartarus arc do they find out about E.N.D. It's still the time period of the grand magic games arc, ie, 7 years after Tenrou. Next, as I mentioned, I will be busy during my initial week at Stockholm, so I won't have time to write at that time. I'll start working only after next week after this chapter. I do apologize for that. Finally, about the story itself. I'm planning for something that's probably 20-30 chapters long, at best. Mostly I would finish things up by 20 chapters. The plot of the story would be as long as that of a new arc/saga, not more than that. With that out of the way, let's get to the chapter and thank you so much for your support.**

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 **PS: - I've been told that 4000 words would put off a lot of readers, since many like to read on the go, and hence that big a chapter would not get many readers. So I'm gonna go for (atleast try to go for) weekly updates, with each chapter being 1.5k-2k words each.**

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 **Chapter 3: - Salamander**

"N..natsu-san" called out Wendy, her voice filled with the obvious emotions of warmth and happiness. She slowly made her way towards him, hands reaching out. Before she could get too close however, she felt some unusual resistance, and with a jolt, was pushed back considerably.

"Kyaah!" she cried out.

"Watch out Wendy! Are you ok?" called out Rogue, supporting her.

"Looks like some form of barrier…." Noted Sting.

"Hmm…..what do we do about this…." Murmured the blue haired beauty.

" **Stay away from him** " thundered a voice from behind. Startled, they looked to see who had followed them all the way here, even though this was supposed to be something that only they knew. Standing before them was a tall, muscular and imposing individual. He had slanted dark eyes, each outlined by a dark profile, which was topped by a single, curved line that forms an angle some inches above his flat, angular nose. The man's lower face was initially obscured by a light bandanna, tied behind his neck in a large knot, which sported a distinctive motif, seemingly meant to emulate an open, somewhat skeletal mouth, with two rows of small, squared teeth enclosing an elongated, darker area.

"Hmph, could you be more loud? I picked up your scent from a mile away…." chided Wendy, unsheathing her sword.

" **Hmph, aren't you too** _ **young**_ **to be using that?** " replied the man in a mocking tone, and before she knew it, her sword felt like it weighed a ton. That wasn't all either. Her clothes now felt extremely loose, and the man in front of her got much taller than before.

"Wh..what in the…"

"We…wendy, you've become a kid!" cried out Sting, eyes popping.

"Haah?! I think that's you!" she retorted.

"Perhaps you both should accept the fact that you've _both_ become short" said Rogue with a smug expression.

"Perhaps you should look at yourself first!" said the other two together, eyes popping.

"Grr….that bastard, treating us like fools! I've had enough!" said Sting, cupping his hands together over his mouth. " **White dragon's roar!** ". But all that happened was a small ray of dim light that escaped his mouth. Needless to say, the pathetic form of his attack alone left him deadpanned.

" **It's no use…my Law of Regression actually reduces your attack, defense, magic ability, speed and so on. You're physical regression is only for show."** Growled the man. " **And now, in the name of Succubus Eye, I, Doriate shall be escorting him back to the gates of hell"** Doriate continued to take small steps towards them, while the 3 miniature slayers continued to take steps behind.

"Rats…" cursed Wendy under her breath, slowly inching backwards. Her shoulder bearing her almost faded guild mark made soft contact with the invisible force field. And then it happened. The invisible made a dying crackle, before finally vanishing like a dying flame. Too occupied to notice, Wendy clenched her teeth, thinking about her next course of action. But something was puzzling. Her enemy, who was initially wearing the expression of a predator toying with its prey, now was shaking and sweating. Now HE was the one backing away.

" **Wh..what…?! But why…?! How could he….?!"** He stammered, sweating heavily and increasing his backwards pace. His eyes further widened. " **No..No..Nooo-"** . His voice was cut off by the blast of searing hot flames that passed right between them, and into him. Wendy felt the oppressive weight of her sword disappear, and her clothing seemed comfortable again. Sting waved his hands, and sure enough, his magic was back, evident from the orb of light he had created. But what was in their immediate span of attention was the form of a man staring at them, one of his onyx colored eyes glowing red. He simply continued to stare at them, which sent chills down their spines.

"N..natsu-san..?" called out Wendy uncertainly. No answer. The glow from his eye vanished. He slowly walked towards her.

"Who are you?" he asked, expression never changing.

"Huh..what do you mean? You don't remember?" she questioned back, calming down and keeping their distance.

"Exactly what I mean. I can't remember anything, not even my name or who you are or I am for that matter….you called me 'Natsu' earlier….is that…my name?" he asked. "Urgh….my memory…is so hazy" he said, clutching his head.

"Then how did you attack that guy?" asked Sting. "If you remember nothing, how did you do that?"

"I don't know….but it felt as if my body moved on its own….I just had the weirdest feeling telling me exactly what I had to do" he explained. "But you seem to talk as if we are acquaintances or something …..who ARE you?" the pink haired legend pressed on. The blue haired comrade of his hung her head in sadness. After 7 years of searching for someone who was like her elder brother, only to find him with a blank sheet for a mind.

"Alright….let's go outside….I don't know how many more are coming, if we are to talk, best we do it elsewhere" she pointed out. Natsu gave a gruff nod and followed the trio that was already exiting the ruins.

"Um…wendy…." Began Sting, trying to comfort her, but she cut him off.

"We should get to the base before more of them come….is there anything else of importance that we should pay heed to here.?" She asked, looking down.

"I've looked around, but that seems to be it. It's as if the person who made this lab deserted it long ago" reported Rogue.

"Alright then….Sting, do you still have enough magic to transfer the 4 of us back to the base?" asked the Blue haired beauty.

"Uh sure, it's not like we did any actual fighting here" said Sting, scratching his head. "Anytime you guys are ready then" he said, casting a pillar of light over them all.

"Right, let's go" confirmed Wendy.

"Beginning transference in 3….2….1…. **transfer!** " as the light enveloping them grew stronger and the 4 of them vanished without a trace.

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 **The 'base'**

*fwip*

4 figures materialized in a huge room, lit by magical lachrimas with dusty tables, several chairs that creaked slowly and a multitude of faces all over the place. Barrels of liquor and essentials like food rations, water and so on adorned the walls of the place.

"Heeey guys, we're back" announced the white dragon slayer, but even without that, the people in the room crowded around them.

"Hey hey, so did you find him?" questioned a female voice.

"Is he here now?!" asked another.

"Shush now, one by one" said Wendy sternly, demanding everyone to give them some space. "Yes, we found him, he's right here. But he's lost all memory of who he was, so he remembers nothing". There was a small pause.

"EHHHHHH!" came the chorus.

"You're not serious.."

"No way…"

"I guess it's time for re-introductions then.." cooed someone, and inched towards him. "Hiya! I'm Shellia Blendy! Pleased to meetcha!" said a pink haired girl, around 12 years of age with twin pigtails. "Although we've never met before, even I know who you are! The legendary salamander! Mr Fire Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail! You have no idea how excited I am to finally meet you!" she said, waving her hands around in a frisk manner.

"Uh..nice to meet you…?" replied salamander, unsure of what to say.

"I'm Lyon vastia, member of the guild Lamia Scale. We've met before a few times" said a silver blond haired mage. Natsu returned the greeting in kind. "I was a close friend of one of yours, Gray Fullbuster" A flinch of remembrance hit Natsu.

" _Gray…that name…I wonder why…._ " He thought to himself, feeling bittersweet.

"Ah Natsu-san, surely you haven't forgotten me, Ichiya~~~" said someone in a singsong voice, and that alone put him off before his face did. And so the intros went on, with each person trying their hand in greeting the famed dragon slayer, until it finally came to the remaining fairies. Macao and Wakaba had a heartfelt reunion, which made the pink haired slayer feel better. Romero, who was the most emotional of the lot, outright hugged him which greatly surprised the dragonslayer. As if by some persuasion from his inner self, he stroked the kid's hair and gave him a smile, which seemed to satisfy the boy. The now married couple Azlack and Bisca too offered their congrats on his return, though they were initially curious about his story. But Sting and Rogue wouldn't have it, so they persuaded the couple to give him some space for the time. Then came the new guilds, Mermaid heel, Sabertooth, Cerebus and so on.

At this point, Jura noted that Wendy was nowhere to be found. His eyes scanned across the room, and she found her at the table, helping herself to a glass of beer, looking a bit down. He could guess what had happened, and took action.

"Alright, alright, I'm sure we're all excited to see Natsu-san and you may have a lot of questions. But I say we let him rest up a bit…..after all, rising up from being dead couldn't have been more exhausting" he said clapping his hands, and after a few 'aww's' from the group, they all dispersed all the same. He then went over to wendy.

"Wendy-chan…." He called out softly, to which the blue haired beauty turned softly. Jura crept in closer, ruffling her hair with one hand. "I know it can be hard, after all the time you've waited for any news of him, and then for you to finally discover that he remembers none of his memories as a member of fairy tail. But even still….he's still Natsu Dragneel, the one whom you care about so much. He may be an adolescent now, and may not remember you, but still, he's the Natsu that you looked up to all this time" consoled the member of the 10 saints. The said pink haired slayer made his way towards them.

"Um….Wendy-san, can I have a minute?" he asked. Without a moment of hesitation, he left, and looking at Wendy, he winked, as if to say 'I told you so'.

"Sure, come inside, we'll talk there away from all this noise. I wanted to talk anyways" she said in a matter-of-factly way. The pink haired slayer followed her behind. Going inside, Wendy pulled a couple of chairs, but the two ended up standing in the end.

"Anyways, let's begin….first with who you are" she started and would not be out for a good couple of hours.

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 **That's it for this chapter! Like I said, it'll be short and sweet, hopefully I can update it weekly or so. Since I'll be travelling abroad soon, I can't promise for the next week, but hey, I'll have 12 hours to do nothing in my flight, so I maybe able to update after all, but not the week after, since I'll be busy settling down. Hope you liked it! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them as reviews, and I'll answer.**


	4. Chapter 4: - The first mission

**Whelp, it's been far too long since an update, sorry about that! Being in a new place, settling down and all that is taking time. So, I'm somewhat free now, and got time to write this. Sorry to keep you waiting! Again, thanks a lot for your support, I'll do my best to keep it entertaining.**

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 **Response to reviews: -**

 **reaus123: - Thanks!**

 **Gruvia and NaLu 4 life :- Thanks! Yeah, E.N.D is canon in this one, you'll soon find out what I mean.**

 **Altajir95:- Thanks!**

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 **Chapter 4: - The first mission**

"So, let's begin" started Wendy, helping herself to a seat in the dingy room. "First, with who you are". The amnesiac dragon slayer's attention stayed on the blue haired beauty.

"Your name….is Natsu Dragneel. You are the dragon slayer of the element of 'Fire', the legendary salamander"

"Salamander?" interrupted the pink haired slayer, with a confused look on his face, one that mirrored the look she would often see in the old Natsu while he goofed around in the guild. She nearly leaked a tear.

"Yeah….that was a title you had, Salamander Natsu, the strongest fire dragon mage from Fairy Tail" she continued "That was…my…our guild, our home" she said, looking afar.

"What's a guild?" came the quick question.

"Wow…..you really must have hit your head too hard huh…..A guild is a place where mages can gather and carry out missions together…it's like having a family, and the guild is our home" explained Wendy "In fact, even though I wasn't a member for too long, there is no other place I would call home, and no one else I would call my family"

"Sounds neat…..so, are those guys also from Fairy Tail?" he asked.

"No….most of them are from other guilds, in fact, less than a dozen of us even remain now….several years ago, we were confronted with the greatest challenge known to mankind, the black dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia…..the battle happened in the holy land of Tenrou Island, where the grave of the 1st guild master of Fairy Tail was present. His power, was titanic. All the strongest mages put together couldn't even delay him for a second from decimating the island. All that remained was corpses at the bottom of the ocean. I survived, with help from the 1st master, Mavis's magic. Everyone else was dead, or so I thought. When we found out that both you and Mira-san's bodies were missing, I had a faint glimmer of hope in the hell I thought I'd have to live in…hence I began searching, leaving my surviving comrades behind, hoping to become stronger and to finally deal with Acnologia once and for all. 7 years passed, and a lot happened over that time. I grew stronger, I met a lot of people, I sustained a lot of injuries, some that healed, and others that didn't. Until I heard a voice that mentioned a person. Someone whom I never thought I could see again. Someone who rekindled any hope that I had in defeating the black dragon. A person who was like….a big brother to me…you" She said, in a variety of emotions. The pink haired legend walked up to her, and rustled her hair, with a smile.

"You've endured enough, Wendy. This time, you have my support as well" he smiled. Unable to hold back, she allowed herself to hug Natsu hard, still repressing her tears.

"You can cry you know, after all, what's wrong in crying for your brother?" he asked with a hearty grin, and that was all it took for the floodgates to open.

"I missed you, Natsu-san!" she cried, still locked in the hug.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting…I may not remember much, but I'll be there for you from now on" he replied, stroking her head again. The reunion was interrupted by a loud ringing sound, as if a bell was going off. The acting leader of the resistance quickly wiped off her tears, going back to her ice cold persona. Grabbing her trusty sword that was hanging nearby, she rushed out of the room. Natsu followed closely behind.

"What happened this time?!" she asked hurriedly.

"Nothing good; Remember that mission that Romero went on to? The one where he was supposed to retrieve information on a certain 'Guild'? Turns out that it's a hellhole which disposes mages that they think have gone dark….those monsters, they're indiscriminatingly disposing people who have done nothing under the guise of being 'just'. Romero managed to get this info to us on time, but at the cost of being discovered himself. Now, he'll meet the same fate unless we do something about it" explained Jura seriously.

"Romero….no…." retreated the worried father, Macao. Wakaba proceeded to console him.

"Don't worry, we'll get him out safe" assured Jura.

"But whom should we send out? We don't even know what we'll be facing there, and if we send someone who has bad compatibility with enemy magic, then the problem only gets worse" cautioned Shellia, the young prodigy.

"That's true, and the only thing that he was able to notice was the unique guild mark of Tartarus in the body of one of them before being caught. He then managed to send out a message to us" added Lyon.

"Tartarus huh…..damn. Looks like we have no choice. I'll leave for him immediately, Jura-san can look after the guild till I return" said Wendy, but someone restrained her shoulders.

"Hold your horses, Wendy. Didn't I say that you didn't have to burden yourself anymore? I wanna give this a shot" said Natsu, looking excited.

"No way. After all this time, I find you, and this is Tartarus we're dealing with. With your memories gone, you won't be any match for them. I wont lose you again" she protested. But the smile on Natsu's face never left him.

"And you won't. Today's not the say I meet my maker, I can tell ya that. I have a gut feeling that I should be the one to go. If you're still not that convinced, you could send someone with me, in case something happens" he requested, his mind made up. "If I cant do this much, then all that salamander and whatnot will all be only for show"

"He's right you know…..you don't have to bear this by yourself….nor do you have to blame yourself for anything" said Sting, with Lector nodding to him.

"Personally, I'd like for Natsu-san to go, I've always wanted to see him in action. So I could escort him" added Rogue.

"We COULD always have someone hold in a recorder-orb, and then we can watch them from here. If something goes horribly wrong, then we could make a move" suggested Jenny of Blue Pegasus. Many more nods followed.

"Yea, I wanna see Natsu go wild!" cheered one.

"Go kick their assess!" said another.

"*sigh*…what am I supposed to say now; fine, let's just not waste any time, and go rescue him before it gets any more delayed" agreed Wendy, and Sting and Rogue chose to accompany him for the mission. "Until they return, I think I'll check on this letter I got…." She said, showing the said letter in her hands.

"What's that?" inquired Ichiya, in his sing song voice.

"An invitation addressed to Fairy Tail, more specifically, to me" she said, unfolding the letter. She read it out aloud.

"To Wendy Marvell of Fairy Tail, come to the ruins of your guild, there is something you need to know, something that can change our lives forever" There was a blank silence in the guild.

"Wow, talk about being anonymous. Who do you think it could be?" asked someone.

"No clue. But I wonder….why our old guild, theres nothing there anymore….could it be someone from Fairy Tail?" she voiced her thoughts aloud.

"It could be a trap, after all, you ARE wanted by many of the dark guilds…" cautioned Jura.

"I know…but still, I have a feeling that I need to go" she said, and knowing that nothing anyone said would change her mind, no further attempts to convince her otherwise arose.

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 **With Sting and team**

There was an uncomfortable silence between the trio. Rogue and Sting were still trying to figure out how to break the ice between themselves. Natsu said nothing, simply continuing forwards without so much as looking back. The double dragons of Sabertooth couldn't even make out what expression he was wearing right now. That was when Rogue decided to start first.

"So, Natsu-san, how much of your battles do you remember?" he asked, expecting something positive.

"To be honest, not much. I only have vague flashes from time to time. Wendy told me that I was a dragon slayer. I don't even remember how that feels like. But the moment I was brought back to consciousness when you guys were there, and when that guy attacked you, that's when I got a sudden flash, like a reflex. I knew exactly what I needed to do somehow. So I guessed that as I face more and more battles, my battle experience should come back as well, along with my memories…." He replied.

"What about Fairy Tail? I heard that you were with Fairy Tail even before Wendy was, and you'd been there all your life. Surely you remember something?" asked the white dragon slayer.

"Unfortunately, no. But there are some things that puzzle me. Certain names feel so….familiar. Even though I have no memory of meeting them. They invoke so many different emotions, each different from the other. Wendy is no different. The moment I saw her, I knew that I've seen her before" he said, looking a bit lost in thought.

"What about the name 'Lucy Heartfilia'?" came the question. Perhaps they heard it from one of Wendy's sleep-talks or perhaps heard it from her when she was drunk. Either ways, they knew that this was one person who was closest to the pink haired slayer. Perhaps mentioning said name would be the first step to his recovery. Natsu remained silent, not mentioning anything as if lost in thought.

"No…nothing" he said, genuinely clueless. Needless to say, that was the last response they expected. Before they could say anything however, Natsu stopped them both in their tracks, looking very alert.

"Looks like we have company" he mentioned. But Sting and Rogue, with their enhanced senses couldn't make out anything out of the norm.

"Really? I don't smell anything" said Sting. Rogue nodded his head in agreement.

"Neither do I, but somehow, I can tell that this is not a normal human. Be careful" he cautioned.

"Unexpected" came a voice, a low demonic grumble. Heads turned in unison.

"To think you could sense my presence so easily" said the voice again, now nearer. "Even if it is **you,** I have to stop you in the name of Lord Mard Geer" The figure now came out, someone who they could tell at a glance was dangerous. With a shark like body and with features of Lizardman, dark pinkish skin tough as nails and scales here and there that resembled the ones present on a dragon, it already looked like they would have a tough time. But what alerted them was the scent that came off him now. It wasn't like any human or any beast. But the scent was so familiar, it was just in the tip of their noses.

"Where's Romero?" asked Natsu, getting to the point.

"Don't know, don't care. Intruders must die as per orders and I, Torafuzar will execute Lord Mard Geer's orders here and now" he simply said, and Natsu figured that asking further would be pointless.

"Sting, Rogue, let me handle this one" he said confronting him. As he neared him, an imminent pressure hit him, and the entire area was covered in an ocean of black water. Reflexively holding his breath, tried to swim his way out of the makeshift ocean.

"It's useless. This dark ocean of poison extends beyond even what the eyes can see. The darkness of the ocean renders the light dragon slayer powerless, and the carbon in it the other one. If you wish to save them, you're best bet is trying to get rid of me. And with this" boomed his voice in the underwater. His physical form enhanced itself, and his features became much more demonic. "That has been lost to you as well, and now I…." His confident smirk was now replaced by fear, something that a demon like him didn't think would feel.

The floating and unconscious pink haired dragon slayer was in a kind of trance, his eyes glowing. Multiple broken images hit it head; a black dragon, the broken ruins of an Island, the looks of horror in the faces of the people in front of him, and finally a girl with blond hair, who looked at him with an expression of understanding, sympathy, and sadness. In the present, the entire area was engulfed by a torrent of black fire, instantly evaporating all the water around them. A second wave of black fiend fire blasted the unsuspecting demon.

Thi…this power….so, you're really….master E…" He mouthed, before the fire roasted him more.

The passed out bodies of Sting and Rogue lay some few feet away from them. The light from Natsu's eyes disappeared, and he blinked hard, as if he had just awoken from having an unbelievable dream. Looking around told him all that he needed to know. He inched towards the now burnt and smoking body of Torafuzar.

"I know youre not dead yet, get up" commanded the pink haired adolescent, glaring at him. The member of tartaros barely managed to look back at him, and smiled.

"he….he…..so you really ARE…"

"Tell me, what happened here?! Was it me….that did this to you? To Rogue and Sting….?"

"Master…is confused, I…understand….but worry not…..all will become clear soon enough…when you learn the truth….I wonder what side you'll chose then…" he said and with the last of his strength, turned to dust.

"The hell…..?!"

"Urgh….what in the world happened here?" asked Rogue, rubbing his eyes.

"Woah, was it him that just turned to dust?!" exclaimed Sting. "Look at that, turns out Natsu san didn't need our help after all!" he said, satisfied but disappointed that he didn't get to witness the action.

"Yeah…..lets…..lets go check on Romero" said Natsu, the words left behind by the tartaros member still ringing in his head.

* * *

 **Guild ruins, Fairy Tail**

Wendy wandered around the thick overgrowths of the area near her home, many feelings hitting her like the different flavors of a cocktail. It was easy enough to recognize the guild from the other buildings nearby, even though they all were nearly unrecognizable with all the growths and all.

"So, what next?" she asked herself. The next moment, she could see some movement in the guild, the vines and plants covering the guild disappearing, and the broken and missing pieces of the building being 'rebuilt' and in no time, the guild was back to its old grandeur. Shocked beyond words, she looked around for an explanation.

"Welcome back, Wendy, daughter of Grandeeney. We've been waiting for you, although I must say that I'm disappointed that you didn't get Natsu along with you. Still, meeting you is by itself a big thing" said a voice, and 3 cloaked figures emerged from the guild.

"What the….who are you?!" she questioned, preparing to draw her sword.

"Who else do you think?" asked the voice back, and the three removed their hoods.

"It….it's you…!" she gasped, wide eyed "Jellal…."

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 **Whew, that took a while! I've been so busy, so I got a bit delayed in updating this. Anyways, sorry about that, I'll try my best to write more. Hope you like it!**


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